The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-01-20
PASTE JEwELRY is POPULAR.
Some of tho Clever limitations and How
They are Manufactured.

Some of tho Clever limitations and How
They are Manufactured.
"The number of imitation diamonds
worn these days is enormous" said
fashionable jeweler on Broadway to re-
porter.
sWhat limitations are most worn''
'tThe double diamond, D clever imita-
ton produced by splitting d worthless or
defective stone nnd backing it with tinfoil.
Diamonds of this kind have to be carefully
mounted or else detection will be easy.
Tho business of intensifying the sparkle OF
pale, cheap diamond is now reduced. to
science Gems are frequently split IN
two, q deeper tone of color introduced and
they arc joined together again, producinga
stone that has a beautiful fire. and that
which sells for three or four times its
original value. The 'doublet' business is
extremely profitable, but, Of course, no
reputable dealer can afford to sell any
without injuring his trade and reputation.
A lapidary one Zocolino, invented tue
'doublct' many years ago. He used q bit
of crystal rs bottom to makeup, an4
painted it with transparent glue. He then
Joined together two cheap thin stones, and
produced gem that appeared finer than
tho real. 1t was not long before his
method was detected.
s'Thc quartz gems are popular and come
next to the 'doublets' in clever counterfeit.
They arc gems of course of their kind, but
not what they ore often sold for. Quartz
can stand the test of the file, which glass
cannot do, hence it's availability. There
are other stones and certain varieties OF
topaz which arc rs hard as diamonds; and
being colorless they are frequently cut and
polished and passed as diamonds of the
first water. Of late colorless gem material
has gone up in prices, owing to the de-
mand from the bogus diamond manufact-
urers. Then there are the paste diamonds,
so easily taken by amateurs for genuine.
The composition of paste gems is mix
ture of violin glass and borax. These
manufactured stones ere very hard to de-
tect, and sometimes find their way into
rich families who are unwittingly imposed
upon. The glittering gems that can be
seen on Broadway after the matinces arc
over, half the time are clever limitations,
either doublets, quartz or paste.
sBut at the swell society balls confess
the gems worn there by the wealthy are
genuine. ENlTeLlely WeiilGHy peoP1e tuo
not easily imposed upon; they always have
a jeweler who examines carefully their
gems before they are purchased. The very
moderately well-to-do people are often de-
ceived, and young men who want diamonds
to sparkle before their sweethearts. Some
Of them, though, go boldly and ask for the
limitations and disport them as genuine.
Mock pearls are frequently seen, too, but
the diamond is initiated more than any
precious stone. The ruby is sometimes
manufactured from a recipe which COM
prises twenty parts of antimony and glass,
500 of strass, half each Of purple of
Cassium and gold. Aventurine is also q
gem glass frequently used in limitations.
These limitations of course have some effect
upon the sale of genuine gems, but not to
an extent that is ruinous. think, though,
that all jewelers. who sell limitations should
deal exclusively in such goods and SO ad-
yertise. The harm comes from the attempt
to palm Off counterfeits for real stones. ~
New York Mail and Express.